Doliche Urban Excavations
The Asia Minor Research Center at the University of Münster has been studying the ancient city of Doliche in south-eastern Turkey since 2015
How did city life develop from antiquity to the Middle Ages?
Since 2015, an international team of scientists has been investigating the ancient city of Doliche in south-eastern Turkey. The aim of the work is to examine the ancient residential buildings and public areas of the city through targeted excavations and surveys, thereby gaining paradigmatic new insights into the urban development of the region in the Hellenistic-Roman period.
Project overview
Why Doliche?
Ideal conditions for researching the cultural milieu of a Hellenistic-Roman city in ancient northern Syria
Types of finds
Glass, inscriptions, ceramics, metal, coins, seal impressions and Stone Age finds
Focal points
Our focus is on the Roman city center and the early Christian basilica
Publications
Findings and documentation to read up on
Latest news
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The Artec Spider II in Doliche
A new article on the official website of Artec 3D presents the work of a Dutch research team led by Jitte Waagen. The team from…
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Excavation Report 2025 Now Online!
The Asia Minor Research Center presents the latest excavation report on the 2025 campaign in Doliche. Between July and September, the international team investigated the…
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New Volume of the AMS – Festschrift for Prof. Engelbert Winter
On the occasion of the emeritation of Prof. Engelbert Winter, Michael Blömer, Dilek Çobanoğlu, Torben Schrieber, and Eva Strothenke-Koch dedicate to him the newly published…
300 years
approximate founding date of the city of Doliche
>25 years
of research contucted by scholars of the University of Münster
>20.000
finds registered each year
>950
elevation of the Doliche city hill
34° C
average temperature during the excavation season
Context and progress of the project
Excavation campaigns of the Doliche Urban Excavations
Since 2015, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has been traveling to the historic city area of Doliche every year for excavations.
Predecessor project to the Sanctuary of Iuppiter Dolichenus 2001-2014
From 2010 to 2014, a research project investigated the sanctuary of Iuppiter Dolichenus on Dülük Baba Tepesi, a mountain not far from the city of Doliche.
The Commagene landscape
The historic city of Doliche is embedded in the Commagene landscape. It stretches between the Taurus Mountains and the Euphrates and is the subject of research at the Asia Minor Research Center at the University of Münster.
